Peanut Free and Nut Free

Other Food Allergies

best meds for seasonal allergies?

My ds (age 7) seems to be getting hit pretty hard with seasonal allergies this year (he's allergic to birch).

Reactine was recommended by his allergist and seems to be controlling symptoms of runny nose, itchy eyes etc. (which actually are very mild), but what seems to really be bothering him are itchy ears (the outside not the inside). They seem to get red, slightly swollen, with what looks almost like tiny blisters on them at night (I'm assuming hives). He's had this happen in the spring before, but not to this degree.

Has anyone experienced anything similar? I'm wondering what I can give him/apply to his ears to relieve the itch (I've seen topical benadryl for bugbites and am wondering if this might help). Any suggestions would be appreciated as his ears are driving the poor boy absolutely nuts.

my oldest--who ironically has [i]no[/i] food allergies--had a really hard time this year with his seasonal allergies.

we tried a lot of things, it was his eyes that were bugging him.

finally, we tried Zyrtec, which is now otc. overnight he was a different kid. his swelling went down, nasal congestion dissapated and he started sleeping better. we will stop the Zyrtec once the season has passed.

hope this helps.

btw, we were trying things specifically for his eyes, and his allergist said he needed a oral med to really help.

My doctor told me to prepare for seasonal allergies by taking an over-the-counter tablet a couple of weeks before spring, so that it can build up in my system before the pollen gets into the air. She also said that the peak allergy times of the day are from 4am to 10am and from 2pm to 8pm, and to try and limit my time and outdoor exposure, during those times as much as possible.
As it turned out, mine got so bad, that none of the ones I could get at the store helped. She finally had to write me a prescription, which is working great, and also helps me fall asleep, and sleep well through the night, without that "hung over" or "groggy" feeling the next morning.
My advise is to talk to your doctor. They can order a blood test and find out how badly you might be allergic to things. ou might need a prescriptions to help you get through the spring.